Posts tagged ‘herbs’

I put this Materia Medica for Goldenrod together last year for a project for the first year apprenticeship at Owlcraft Healing Ways. Today I harvested a bit of goldenrod, and wanted to share this information. If anyone local is in need of some goldenrod, I have a good amount, in various stages of blooming. Please get in touch if you would like to come harvest some, or if you would like me to bring you some I harvest. Fresh for $9 a pound if I bring it to you, if you want to come get it, trade me some plant identification or something fun!

Goldenrod or Solidago Spp.

Aka blue mountain tea, liberty tea, wound wort, Aaron’s rod

Asteracea family

Very erect perennial, 2-3 feet tall according to some sources. I have seen a lot taller that here at the Heathen Homestead. Stems become Woody but do not often Branch out. Small yellow clusters of disklike flowers with 1/4 inch heads that bloom between July and October.

Made some tincture tonight from fresh black walnut hulls in their green stage. Already turning a neat green color. Going to be nice to have this on hand for parasites on or in people or critters. We harvested these walnuts from trees on our farm. In the future we would like to harvest the nuts from Juglans Nigra. Made sure to wear gloves while processing so as to not stain my hands.

If you have dry, cracking, peeling skin – whether it be from callouses, washing dishes, outdoor work, carpentry or whatever I have to recommend you try a skin salve I have made. The fewer ingredients the fewer potential you will have for issues. I do not use petroleum based ingredients in any of my products. All ingredients are easily pronounced! Except perhaps the Latin names for the plants. Mine has: chickweed oil, calendula oil, yarrow oil, goldenrod oil, coconut oil and beeswax. All oils made with high quality extra virgin olive oil. $7.50 for a 1 ounce tin, $15 for a 2 ounce tin

It’s hot yall. My fall/winter/spring nightly cup of hot tea just doesn’t seem appetizing. I still make herbal tea most days, but am happy to have developed a soothing, cooling, nourishing adaptation of southern sweet tea to quench my thirst on these hot days.

Southern Summer Herbal Sweet Tea

Chillout blend

10 bags of orange pekoe tea

3 tbsp nettles

3 tbsp milky oats or oatstraw (work with what you’ve got)

2 tbsp red raspberry leaf

2 tbsp motherwort

2 tbsp lemonbalm

1 tbsp blue vervain

Honey or sugar to taste

I put all my herb in tea bags or tea balls, or loose in a big pot of 1 gallon of water. I turn the stove on to boil. How you make your tea affects the medicine and taste. There is definitely room for your personal choice here. I tend to boil my tea with the plants in for 20 minutes. Then I turn the stove off and let the mixture cool with the herbs in. After a bit I remove the plant matter and mix in honey. Then I refrigerate the sweet tea in a tea dispenser with a spout.

Here you will find my daily haiku, weekly unsolicited advice column “Yall Are Petty”, political essays, herbalist musings and tips, and more. There are also links to my instagram and other social media pages. Most of my content here will be in the form of writing.

I am always happy for opportunities to be published or paid for my writing. I am also interested in opportunities to present at events or conferences on subjects relating to: radical history, anarchism, know your rights, sustainability and old windows, food not bombs, women in construction, herbalism and ptsd, how to write prisoners, grassroots organizing, plant walks, etc.

My construction business is Karnage Creations LLC and we do restoration of historic windows. Find us online at Richmond Window Repair and get in touch if you need windows repaired or restored.

Another of my enterprises is The Heathen Homestead LLC, our herbal farm in Beaverdam, VA. You can see what products we are selling (all kinds of herbal goodies) and what markets we will be at here: The Heathen Homestead. Contact me for scheduling herbal consultations.